The Rhone Passage 218BC>

For the first game of 2018 we picked a good old Ancients "knockabout" featuring Carthaginians vs Galllic tribes.

Top photo is scenario,bottom is the table before any movement-Paul was Hannibal,whilst Brian and I split the Gallic tribe between us,Brian taking the right and me the left.

Paul's front line consisted of poor quality Celts,interspersed with Elephants,who,in our rules,are quite "volatile" and subject to panic!!! His second line was all Spaniards,whilst his Elite African infantry made up the third line,and with Numidian cavalry on the left and good heavy cavalry on the right,made for a very strong army.

After a "stuttering" start,both sides have made contact with their front lines-our Gauls getting the better of both Celts and Elephants.

Paul's front line is being pushed back,and the Elephants are taking too many casualties to stand any further punishment-a quick morale check,and.........................................

Off they go!!rampaging left,right and straight back,breaking all cohesion,and dis-ordering everything in their path!!!!

Whilst the elephants wend their weary way back to the jungle, an eerie lull has descended on the battlefield,and Dave has appeared!!!-on the right Brian is advancing into a veritable hail of javelins from the Numidian cavalry,my front line has been drawn back,and my second line is about to advance and take on the Africans(is this wise???)

My cavalry are doing ok,but then I put their commander into the fight,got him killed and the whole flank disappeared!!!! However my second line is advancing and Brian is holding his own on his flank,and part of the first line-hurrah(??)

Despite taking casualties from my javelins,the Africans with their long spears,made mincemeat out of my troops!!This,and the disappearing act carried out by my cavalry,placed the whole battle in jeopardy-come on Brian!!

This is Brian's flank-he is still being harassed by the Numidians,and Paul's Spanish are lining up ready to take him on,but with my poor showing,the game was really over,with no real chance of the Volcae winning,so we called it a day-well done lads,now onto Sunday,aWW2 game with a full compliment.
Roll on Sunday.